The Licensing Hearings & Public Safety Committee on Monday recommended that the Sheboygan City Common Council accept and expend a $24,112 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Justice to reimburse shared expenses for the city’s drug unit.

The chief told the committee the award has been unchanged for about a decade and is split roughly $14,000 in federal funds and $9,000 in state funds. "This is the same grant we've been getting for since before I was in charge of the [unit]," the chief said, adding the funds reimburse shared services between the city, the sheriff’s department and other county agencies.

Committee members pressed for details on administration and any local match. Alder Perella asked whether the county also applies for or receives funds and whether a match is required; the chief said the city is the lead applicant and manager and that there is no matching requirement for this grant. When asked whether the award amount could grow, the chief said specialized grants for heroin and meth investigations have reduced reliance on the JAG funds and that any year-end expenditures beyond reimbursed amounts have historically been split about fifty‑fifty between the city and the county.

A motion to recommend adoption was made by Alder Perella and seconded; the committee approved the recommendation by voice vote and the chair recorded the motion as passed. The resolution (identified in the meeting as "Resolution number 100 30-25-26 by Alders Rust and Voorhees") will be forwarded to the Common Council for final action.

The committee did not record an individual roll‑call tally during the meeting; the chair stated the motion passed by voice vote. Next procedural steps will follow the council calendar.